Originally Posted By TheRedhead "However Menken has done little of merit since Hunchback - that is 15 years of either average or dreadful output. The crap is starting to outweigh the marvellous stuff from Little Shop to HOND." That I can get behind. It's sad to see talent disappear. Watching Sondheim's "Wise Guys" or Kander and Ebb's "Steel Pier" is as sad as watching "Sister Act." And you are dead right that Robert Lopez is Fresher, but the guy is in his prime right now. You don't have to apologize for being mean to Menken (he can handle it!), but if we're drawing comparisons, the Lopezes are now where Ashman and Menken were at BATB (give or take, more or less). BTW, Cranium Command was one of my favorite attractions at WDW ever. A film with that feel written by Lopezes makes me giddy.
Originally Posted By leemac << Watching Sondheim's "Wise Guys" or Kander and Ebb's "Steel Pier" is as sad as watching "Sister Act." >> I'm not even sure if Sister Act was his nadir! Leap of Faith and The Little Mermaid were far worse IMHO. The original Sister Act had a lot to like in it until Stage Entertainment got involved and threw money at it. I can't even begin to tell you how hard it is to deal with Menken - he is the biggest prima-dona I've ever worked with - and that is saying something. Very difficult. Makes Richard Sherman look like a lamb in comparison. Ego seems to come with the territory.
Originally Posted By leemac <<BTW, Cranium Command was one of my favorite attractions at WDW ever. A film with that feel written by Lopezes makes me giddy.>> Bob The Musical will either be spectacular or a car wreck. The original Lowell/Ganz script had a lot to like. Allan Loeb is now onboard for rewrites - I thought he did a good job on Rock of Ages. Adam Shankman was supposed to direct but his star at Disney imploded with Bedtime Stories. I'd love to see Rob Ashford handle it though - his choreography in How To Succeed was excellent.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Some of the other Anne projects weren't quite so great...<< Wasn't she also responsible for the Aladdin show at DCA and the Snow White show at DL? I never took the time to see Snow White (too busy doing the parks commando style during its short run), but it got pretty bad reviews. And although Aladdin is quite popular and has been running for a very very long time, I just never liked it; I saw it late last summer and liked it much more than usual (a lot of the dialogue is painful even with the best actors), but I still think it's years past its prime
Originally Posted By leemac And the best thing that TPP ever did was bring Jerry Rees to WDA - his body of work from Cranium Command to Back to Neverland to CineMagique is unsurpassed.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Wasn't she also responsible for the Aladdin show at DCA and the Snow White show at DL?>> I know Aladdin gets mixed reviews but I've still got a fondness for it. I can't stand Menken's new song for it though - he shouldn't write lyrics. Snow White was just plain terrible. A lot can be pinned at the door of the venue - ambient noise and light kills theatrical events IMHO - but the show was a wreck. Poorly executed from start to finish. Disneyland deserves a world class indoor theater venue and it is a travesty that they still don't have one.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<think you do have to be in to Michael Curry's style - do you like the puppets in his other work like The Lion King (Broadway musical) or Tapestry of Nations?>> Strangely enough, I LOVED Tapestry of Nations... my all-time favorite Disney parade. But for me, what works so well in a parade just doesn't meet my expectation of what I want in a stage show. I guess I don't dislike it too much though... I go to see it every time I visit the AK (something I can't say for Festival of the Lion King).
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: To answer your question, leeman, duckling, we LOVE Rogers & Hammerstein. Just about everything they've ever written has been wonderful. But to our ears the Lopez type musicals don't begin to compare to Rogers & Hammerstein. If only they did we'd be big fans of them, too. Whereas Rogers & Hammerstein musicals always stand out with great beauty and inspiration, the Lopez songs get lost in a world that's rather mediocre by comparison.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Menken certainly has gone downhill. Leap of Faith and Sister Act were duds. But I liked the new songs for Little Mermaid.
Originally Posted By TheRedhead ^^^ I love the song the sisters sing. "She's in Love" I think? Fantastic. I had high hopes when I heard that song. The rest...not so much. And while I don't think Menken has matched Hunchback lately, I really like the songs from Rapunzel and Home on the Range.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Yeah, to add to the Menken defense, I present the following songs: From Enchanted: Love's First Kiss That's How You Know So Close From Tangled: Now I See the Light Mother Knows Best When Will My Life Begin? From Little Mermaid: Her Voice She's In Love Human Stuff and Positoovity One Step Closer However, I still think Sister Act and Leap of Faith are awful.
Originally Posted By planodisney Yes!!! I love When Will My Life Begin and Mother Knows Best is pure genius.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Wow! One of the best Disney animated films in the last 20 or so years! Brilliant on many levels. I love the fact human movements in CGI has developed so well. For me there was some suspension of disbelief. The voice actors, story, dialog, the art direction .. so many factors ... just - WOW. And I have to give an A+ for effort trying to create memorable songs ... as they didn't quite reach the level of an Ashman/Menken .. or Rogers & Hammerstien score. The summer song the snowman sings is cute. I can see this as a live stage show - theme park level, and perhaps - legitimate level. Though .. as the songs are not strong, I could see some new songs, perhaps? But anyway .... Frozen is very well done. I hope any of you who sat through it ... waited to the end of the credit role, for one more added scene. (It's not just Marvel action films that do that, you know.)
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>I hope any of you who sat through it ... waited to the end of the credit role, for one more added scene. (It's not just Marvel action films that do that, you know.)<<< Oh no, we didn't do that and we have seen the movie twice. What did I miss?
Originally Posted By oc_dean I'm not telling. You have to see it a third time. It's a surprise. And if anyone tells Dagobert, you will receive bad karma. :~)
Originally Posted By oc_dean I'd like to know - what country does Frozen take place in? Sweden? Norway? Denmark? Finland?
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>I'm not telling. You have to see it a third time. It's a surprise. And if anyone tells Dagobert, you will receive bad karma. :~)<<< That's mean ) I will find out sooner or later, but I'm not going to watch it a third time in the cinema. >>>I'd like to know - what country does Frozen take place in? Sweden? Norway? Denmark? Finland?<<< It's definitely inspired by Scandinavia, but I guess it doesn't take place in an actual country.
Originally Posted By oc_dean I think I just found my answer: >>"This is going to be a world that is inspired by the real, rugged, majestic beauty of Norway," said Emily Thompson, Senior Manager of Communications at Disney Animation. "Even though the story won’t necessarily take place in a specific time or location, that’s our inspiration."<<
Originally Posted By oc_dean Time period? Based on the costumes, & technology ... I'd place it between 1800 & 1840.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>I hope any of you who sat through it ... waited to the end of the credit role, for one more added scene.<< >>Oh no, we didn't do that<< I hope you were both reading the credits too. If not, you missed something really fun. ;-)
